Deputy commander of Strategic Command relieved

[steingar]

Tim Giardina, a 3-Star Navy Admiral has been relieved of command due to an investigation suggesting he used $1500 worth of counterfeit chips in a casino.

I know of no other case ever of a deputy commander who was relieved for cause

Says Eugene Habiger, retired Air Force General and former commander of Strategic Command. Story.

 

[ScottM]

Someone has to be first.

 

[Sac Arrow]

http://www.pilotsofamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?t=64369

These are the guys that should be relieved from command.

 

[poadeleted20]

Pretty much open and shut under the PRP I knew. If you can't be trusted off the job, you can't be trusted on the job with nukes, and nukes are the Strategic Command's job.

 

[JeffDG]

Pretty much open and shut under the PRP I knew. If you can't be trusted off the job, you can't be trusted on the job with nukes, and nukes are the Strategic Command's job.

Yeah...he's had a pretty easy job lately...he was suspended from any duties requiring a security clearance...so, he could come in and make coffee, probably not much else.

 

[JB1842]

And if the military is the same as I when I was in, casinos will now be off limits for E-4's and below.

 

[poadeleted20]

Yeah...he's had a pretty easy job lately...he was suspended from any duties requiring a security clearance...so, he could come in and make coffee, probably not much else.

"Hey, Admiral -- how about a decaf, black, no sugar?"

 

[Tony_Scarpelli]

What a shame. 30 years of career ended with a single bad decision. I hope he doesn't loose his retirement. That would suck big time.

 

[BillTIZ]

What a shame. 30 years of career ended with a single bad decision. I hope he doesn't loose his retirement. That would suck big time.

He probably will "be allowed to retire" at 75% of a 3 stars base pay.
Plus his health care and what ever VA disability he can garner.

Sadly there is no VA disability allowance for "poor judgement".

I get a flu shot at the base clinic and I had to report my PRP status!

 

[Fearless Tower]

What a shame. 30 years of career ended with a single bad decision. I hope he doesn't loose his retirement. That would suck big time.

The problem is that with alloy of these senior officers the Navy has been firing lately, they aren't the first time the individual was bending/twisting/breaking the rules. It was just the first time they got caught.

 

[Sac Arrow]

The problem is that with alloy of these senior officers the Navy has been firing lately, they aren't the first time the individual was bending/twisting/breaking the rules. It was just the first time they got caught.

This is so stupid yes. That's a really stupid rule to fire someone over. How about let's evaluate how this officer's performance is. If he can defend our nation and kill the enemy keep him. If he's some leech get rid of him.

 

[poadeleted20]

This is so stupid yes. That's a really stupid rule to fire someone over. How about let's evaluate how this officer's performance is. If he can defend our nation and kill the enemy keep him. If he's some leech get rid of him.

There are two reasons this cannot be. First is the matter of trusting him to operate by the rules, which is critical when dealing with nuclear weapons, and that's the Strategic Command's primary business. Read about the Nuclear Weapons Personal Reliability Program for more on that. The other is that if he's cheating the casinos and breaking civilian law in the process, someone could find out, and use that to blackmail him for espionage purposes -- gambling having been the lever for several KGB operations over the years.

 

[GBear286]

Some here may be too young to have seen this movie.

[FONT=helvetica, arial] Turgidson:
Mr. President, about thirty-five minutes ago, General Jack Ripper, the commanding General of Burpleson Air Force Base, issued an order to the 34 B-52's of his wing which were airborne at the time as part of a special exercise we were holding called Operation Dropkick. Now, it appears that the order called for the planes to attack their targets inside Russia. The planes are fully armed with nuclear weapons with an average load of 40 megatons each. Now the central display of Russia will indicate the position of the planes. The triangles are their primary targets, the squares are their secondary targets. The aircraft will begin penetrating Russian radar cover within 25 minutes.

Muffley:
General Turgidson, I find this very difficult to understand. I was under the impression that I was the only one in authority to order the use of nuclear weapons.
Turgidson:
That's right sir. You are the only person authorized to do so. And although I hate to judge before all the facts are in, it's beginning to look like General Ripper exceeded his authority.
............................
[FONT=helvetica, arial]Muffley:
There's nothing to figure out General Turgidson. This man is obviously a psychotic.
Turgidson:
Well, I'd like to hold off judgment on a thing like that, sir, until all the facts are in.
Muffley:
anger rising General Turgidson, when you instituted the human reliability tests, you assured me there was no possibility of such a thing ever occurring.
Turgidson:
Well I don't think it's quite fair to condemn a whole program because of a single slip up sir.
[/FONT]
[/FONT]

 

[N801BH]

What a shame. 30 years of career ended with a single bad decision. I hope he doesn't loose his retirement. That would suck big time.

Hmmm... A (SINGLE) bad decision..... This scumbag has been lying, cheating and stealing for years.....

I say... throw his ass out with NO pay, NO retirement or any other benefit.... Let him live a cardboard box on some sidewalk somewhere... preferrably someplace cold.. IMHO..

 

[poadeleted20]

Some here may be too young to have seen this movie.

[FONT=helvetica, arial]Turgidson: [/FONT]
[FONT=helvetica, arial]Mr. President, about thirty-five minutes ago, General Jack Ripper, the commanding General of Burpleson Air Force Base, issued an order to the 34 B-52's of his wing which were airborne at the time as part of a special exercise we were holding called Operation Dropkick. Now, it appears that the order called for the planes to attack their targets inside Russia. The planes are fully armed with nuclear weapons with an average load of 40 megatons each. Now the central display of Russia will indicate the position of the planes. The triangles are their primary targets, the squares are their secondary targets. The aircraft will begin penetrating Russian radar cover within 25 minutes. [/FONT]

[FONT=helvetica, arial]Muffley: [/FONT]
[FONT=helvetica, arial]General Turgidson, I find this very difficult to understand. I was under the impression that I was the only one in authority to order the use of nuclear weapons. [/FONT]
[FONT=helvetica, arial]Turgidson: [/FONT]
[FONT=helvetica, arial]That's right sir. You are the only person authorized to do so. And although I hate to judge before all the facts are in, it's beginning to look like General Ripper exceeded his authority. [/FONT]
[FONT=helvetica, arial]............................[/FONT]
[FONT=helvetica, arial][FONT=helvetica, arial]Muffley: [/FONT]
[FONT=helvetica, arial]There's nothing to figure out General Turgidson. This man is obviously a psychotic. [/FONT]
[FONT=helvetica, arial]Turgidson: [/FONT]
[FONT=helvetica, arial]Well, I'd like to hold off judgment on a thing like that, sir, until all the facts are in. [/FONT]
[FONT=helvetica, arial]Muffley: [/FONT]
[FONT=helvetica, arial]anger rising General Turgidson, when you instituted the human reliability tests, you assured me there was no possibility of such a thing ever occurring. [/FONT]
[FONT=helvetica, arial]Turgidson: [/FONT]
[FONT=helvetica, arial]Well I don't think it's quite fair to condemn a whole program because of a single slip up sir. [/FONT]

[/FONT]

I might point out that this movie moved the Air Force to change things so what happened in the movie could not actually happen.

 

[Tom-D]

Hmmm... A (SINGLE) bad decision..... This scumbag has been lying, cheating and stealing for years.....

I say... throw his ass out with NO pay, NO retirement or any other benefit.... Let him live a cardboard box on some sidewalk somewhere... preferrably someplace cold.. IMHO..

IMHO he should be reduced in rank prior to his discharge.

And then discharged under other than honorable conditions thus refused his benefits.

 

[JeffDG]

IMHO he should be reduced in rank prior to his discharge.

And then discharged under other than honorable conditions thus refused his benefits.

He lost his third star (it was tied to his job, so when he was relieved, he lost it).

 

[GBear286]

I might point out that this movie moved the Air Force to change things so what happened in the movie could not actually happen.

That is probably why the Air Force is taking a hard line on this commander. I am not surprised that things have been changed but doubt that any system that includes humans in the loop is infallible.

 

[poadeleted20]

That is probably why the Air Force is taking a hard line on this commander.

This is a US Navy Admiral in a joint command, so it's not the Air Force's call, but the point is well made.

I am not surprised that things have been changed but doubt that any system that includes humans in the loop is infallible.

Agreed, but the means to circumvent even the post-Strangelove systems in place when I was in this business 30 years ago were well-nigh impossible even for a team to accomplish, and completely impossible for a single individual -- and I suspect they've improved these things since then.

 

[GBear286]

This is a US Navy Admiral in a joint command, so it's not the Air Force's call, but the point is well made.

I was still stuck in Dr. Strangelove which is a fun movie.

Agreed, but the means to circumvent even the post-Strangelove systems in place when I was in this business 30 years ago were well-nigh impossible even for a team to accomplish, and completely impossible for a single individual -- and I suspect they've improved these things since then.

Let's hope.

 

[GBear286]

An Air Force general also bit the dust.

The two-star general in charge of all Air Force nuclear missiles was fired Friday following a probe into alleged personal misbehavior -- just days after another key official overseeing U.S. nuclear power was relieved of duty. The Air Force announced Friday that Maj. Gen. Michael Carey was removed from command of the 20th Air Force, which is responsible for three wings of intercontinental ballistic missiles -- a total of 450 missiles at three bases across the country. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...e-nuclear-missiles-to-be-fired-officials-say/

 

[Henning]

Hmmm, now this is getting strange, at this point I'd like to hear directly from the Admiral and General. When more than one key player in the strategic services is removed, I get a little suspicious. These guys have been vetted every which way from Sunday over long careers. One going bad I can accept, two is a bit funky because after all, these guys are also the check on presidential ability to launch.

 

[poadeleted20]

Hmmm, now this is getting strange, at this point I'd like to hear directly from the Admiral and General. When more than one key player in the strategic services is removed, I get a little suspicious. These guys have been vetted every which way from Sunday over long careers. One going bad I can accept, two is a bit funky because after all, these guys are also the check on presidential ability to launch.

I guess you've never been in the business. There is no "check" on the President's launch authority. If the President says "go," and the order is sent via the "football," the only checks thereafter are to confirm authenticity of the order (the actions of the fictional Minuteman MCC in the opening sequence of the movie "War Games" electing not to turn his key due to doubts about the situation notwithstanding).

In any event, the relief from duty of a Navy Admiral in a joint command over cheating in a gambling establishment and an Air Force General in an Air Force command for "behavior" having nothing to do with gambling cannot be seen as anything more than coincidence.